Masterclass

Zucchini is a tragically underappreciated vegetable, but what it lacks in drama, it makes up for in versatility.

The key to that versatility is cellulose, an insoluble fibre. Cellulose doesn’t do much for us nutritionally, beyond supporting digestive health by feeding our microbiome and promoting fullness. But in the kitchen, this abundant fibre is fantastic for baking, soups and sauces.

Think of the cellulose in zucchini like tiny, super-absorbent sponges. Even when you cook the zucchini and everything else gets mushy, these little sponges don’t break, so they continue to soak up and hold a lot of liquid.

As zucchini cooks, its cellulose binds the liquid it releases, creating a gel that stays in the slice. This means your zucchini slice will stay moist without being sloppy.

This gelling property means you can use zucchini to make moist cakes, thick soups and even cheese sauces. And because zucchini isn’t as sweet or as flavourful as similarly fibrous vegetables such as carrots or pumpkin, it won’t overpower the other ingredients.

For a low-carb cheese sauce, peel a zucchini and grate the white part, then cook it down with a little water or oil before blending it in a high-speed blender with grated cheese and more liquid (milk, stock or water) to a smooth sauce.

Using other vegetables

If zucchini isn’t your bag, you can substitute some or all of the zucchini with other vegetables, although you may need to make a few adjustments to account for the differing water content and taste.

If you use pumpkin, you will need to add more flour because of its higher ratio of water to fibre. Carrot has a similar texture to zucchini, but will produce a much sweeter slice. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts might need an extra egg to help the slice come together.

Replacing half the zucchini with other vegetables (or a mix) should work just fine.

Maximising taste

The key to a great zucchini slice is to maximise the taste of the other ingredients.

Most recipes suggest stirring chopped bacon rashers through the mix. But you’ll get tastier results by using thickly cut speck (for texture) and frying it until browned before mixing it into the slice batter. Similarly, vegetable oil is fine in a zucchini slice, but if you want a more complex taste, use a fruity olive oil instead.

For extra savouriness, you could mix parmesan with your grated tasty cheese. I’ve opted instead to incorporate a teaspoon of stock powder, which gives the dish an umami boost.

I’ve added cherry tomatoes for extra sweetness and savouriness, but you could take that further, substituting chopped sun-dried tomatoes for a more concentrated flavour.

Each of these additions and substitutions will maximise the taste of your slice without taking it too far from the original.

Changing it up

If you want to depart more dramatically from the classic, the options are endless.

• Try a curry version by adding 2 teaspoons of curry powder to the batter.
• Give it a Korean accent by replacing the bacon with 100 grams of kimchi and half a teaspoon of mild Korean chilli powder.
• For a feta and dill zucchini slice, use 100 grams of feta instead of the bacon, and add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped dill.
• And for a delicious cacio e pepe slice, replace the bacon with 100 grams of grated parmesan and add ½ tsp of very coarsely ground black pepper.